The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-07-01
rHg eusLlo DOMAIN.

THE Pu0Lio DOMAIN.
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Whatsoever may be laid 70 Prssident
Cleysland's charge by his partisan OPP
ponentA ~ will upon one ground b
long held IN grateful remembrance BY
the people. During his Administra-
don and under bis direction the deple-
tIon and robbery At the pubic domain
has for The first time n : quarter of
century received > check; and future
generations finding that Uncle Sam
still has land 70 give them . farm will
look back 70 President Cleveland's
time with heartfelt gratitude
A good deal hes been done IN Con-
gress toward restoring 70 the public
the lands unjustly and unlawfully
turned over to or claimed BY the land
grant railroads, but the most impor-
tant step in the direction Of reform Is
that which has been taken by the Sec
rotary Of The Interior in respect TO the
revocation Of the orders withdrawing
railroad indemnity lands from settle
ment. The decision Of the President
in the Guilford Nillor case paved the
way for this action; and the wonder is.
in the light Of that decision. that ac-
ton was not taken long since. The
fact that il has not been can only be
accounted for on the theory that hose
interested in the indemnity lans.A 80
called. exercised too much influence
over Congress and the Administration
at Washington.
The whole business Of Withdrawing
these lands was disgraceful piece Of
subserviency to the railroad corpora
tons They had their grants and the
land they took up under them was at
all times, a. the event has shown.
largely in excess Of any amount which
they had actually earned by compli-
ance with the terms Of their grants.
Congress has been compelled to forfeit
/ millions Of acres because Of the failure
OF the corporations to comply with
those conditions And yet 1T the same
time enormous tracts Of land were
Withdrawn and Withheld from sale and
settlement to indemnify" these cor
pcrations against any shortage in thu
grant There was no provision ever
in the cases where indemnity lands
were actually earned. compelling thu
corporation to make selection 80 that
the rest Of the withheld territory NIGH
be thrown open to settlement; and tn
companies very naturally and thriftil,
postponed their selection so that !
might be ascertained which lands wer'
most valuable. or. in some cases, which
lands had been enhanced in value b,
settlers And this monstrous injus
tice Of discriminating against thu
settler in favor Of railroad companies
whose claim was 1t best incomplete
and in many cases had no legal exist
eace. has been persisted in for years
while the public domain available TO
settlement grew narrower and mar
rover every year.
The putting an end to this rank in
Justice. this gross favoritism in behal
Of railroad corporations stamps Pres
dent Clevelands Administration as tn
first real friend the people have had
power At Washington since the wal
It may Be thought, perhaps. that "
are too sanguinc in speaking Of the in
Justice Is ended. Future administers
tons. it may be urged. will undo th
work which that Of President Clevelan
has begun and is evidently determine
to complete. We think not 1t il no
unlikely that in the vicissitudes OF pol
itics there may be eras in the future
corruption and robbery like that whic
began during the war and was onl
terminated by the triumph Of the D.
mocracy three years ago. But Il theI
are they will take some other forI
than that of attack upon the publ
domain. There II an aroused publ
sentiment in that behalf which wi
make it impossible for many : Ion
year to inaugurste any such raid upo
the peoples land as that for which Ii
robbers are now being brought
Judgment. Detroit Free Press.